Simulation Study of a Flat Plate Solar Collector Influence of the Mixture Air Flow

Abstract

Due to their simple composition, flat plate solar collectors are constantly applied to various fields. As a result, thermo-fluid performance is continuously improving. The direct heat losses in a flat plate solar collector depend essentially on the absorber-glazing clearance. The increase in this clearance leads to an increase in convective losses and its reduction reduces the air flow to be transported. A solution is envisaged by the present subject, which consists in carrying out a new design of an absorber for those with baffles or part of the heat transfer fluid circulating inside. The work consists in optimizing the annular clearance or in circulating the heat transfer fluid because this clearance is made to the detriment of the thickness of the absorber, source of thermal energy of the solar collector. The optimum distance is then sought, which ensures a homogeneous mixture between the current of the main fluid flowing between the baffles on the one hand and the current of the secondary fluid flows in the annular clearance of the absorber on the other hand.